Microsoft: Why the Silence about IE 8.0?

Two years ago, Microsoft used the Bill Gates keynote at its MIX conference as the launch pad for Internet Explorer (IE) 7.0, which shipped last year. However, this year at MIX07, news of the next IE version, which Microsoft has confirmed is in development, was not to be had. Instead, the software giant used the show to focus on its new cross-platform browser plug-in Silverlight, which will be rapidly enhanced over the coming months with interesting new developer features. But what's going on with IE 8.0?

During a session at the show, IE platform architect Chris Wilson implied that Microsoft was delaying the next IE version somewhat. Microsoft had previously spoken of a 12- to 18-month release cycle for IE 8.0, a dramatic improvement over the five-year wait between IE 6.0 and IE 7.0. But at MIX07, Wilson said IE 8.0 would likely ship closer to two years after IE 7.0, which launched in October 2006.

Microsoft is also being vague about what features it will incorporate into IE 8.0. The company was conspicuously silent about the product at MIX out of a desire to not upstage Silverlight, according to my sources. Previously, the company had noted that it would be working on better compatibility with Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) standards and other Web technologies in IE 8.0.

The problem is that the Web development community is still a bit touchy after IE's five years of stagnation between IE 6.0 and IE 7.0, a time during which rival browsers from Mozilla and Apple added gobs of new features and seized market share. IE 7.0, in many ways, was simply a chance for Microsoft to catch up from a functional perspective. And while IE still controls the market, Web developers often have to ensure that their sites and applications work with Mozilla Firefox as well. Now, they're asking Microsoft for a little guidance about what to expect in the next IE version so they can prepare for the future.

It's a valid question, and one that Microsoft should address as soon as possible. In fact, it seems like the type of thing that the company could have addressed at its annual Web conference.

Discuss this Article 20

Nathan (not verified)

on May 4, 2007

"Free speech only says the *government* won't restrict your speech. Any service providers, such as web sites (e.g. Digg, MySpace, YouTube) or web hosting providers are free to take any speech they don't like down from their services..."
Or like WindowsITPro... :-)

Why would they worry - they are too lazy to port their crapplications over to Vista and/or IE7.
MS just has to worry about making IE8 backwards-compatible (like they always have to do) for the whiners.

No one is really surprised that Microsoft treats its conferences NOT like conferences or "conversations" and MORE like marketing events.
Silverlight shines brightly casting a dark shadow over IE8 and other pressing issues for developers.

This certainly doesn't seem to be much of a big deal, since Silverlight is certainly what they are touting. However, the extension of the development cycle is certainly a very disappointing aspect.
One could treat this the same way that a certain other company that shall remain nameless had failed to mention one iota of detail on a product that the conference that they were at was named for. Instead, they used it as a platform to launch something that was bringing the company in a different direction.

They didn't pull down the movile version of Short Takes...yet.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/mobile/pda/Article.cfm?ArticleID=95978&News=1
Quoting Paul: "09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
It's what's for dinner."

"This is free speech, people, and it's not illegal to post a string of characters, especially if I don't explain what you can do with it. Sorry, but the information is out there."
Preach it, brotha! Preach it!

"Microsoft's engineers simply lack the talent to implement a proper web browser, so there's nothing to report in IE8."
You live in a mighty simple world don't you? You probably think all of the problems in Israel stemming from 'God hating them'. Along with the purpose that the sky is blue is that 'blue is a pretty color'.

"MS just has to worry about making IE8 backwards-compatible (like they always have to do)"
this brings up a nagging question then: does anybody really believe that IE8 will be XP compatible when it gets released?
XP

As if pointing it out ~three days ago wasn't enough, here I go again:
Paul, there was NO MIX conference in 2005. IE7 was not announced at that nonexistant conference. It was announced at some security conference.
"This is free speech, people, and it's not illegal to post a string of characters, especially if I don't explain what you can do with it. Sorry, but the information is out there."
Free speech only says the *government* won't restrict your speech. Any service providers, such as web sites (e.g. Digg, MySpace, YouTube) or web hosting providers are free to take any speech they don't like down from their services. If you don't like their policies, find a service provider that is more permissive.

@itpro: Considering that the product that "The Company That Must Not Be Named" announced is based on an existing Operating System offered by TCTMNBN, it was absolutely appropriate. Just as it is for Microsoft in this instance to focus on newly introduced technology rather than an as-of-yet unreleased update to a recently-introduced version that has about 14% usage share.
I don't think developers are wringing their hands over IE8 just yet. After all, they had five years to prepare for IE7, and even longer for Vista. They're used to waiting.